new clients
About The ASD Clinic
Here is some useful information about The ASD Clinic to help potential new clients or returning clients.
- How to make an enquiry to the The ASD Clinic
- Counselling Sessions at the The ASD Clinic
- How Diagnostic Assessments are managed at the The ASD Clinic
- How The ASD Clinic manages its waiting list
Enquiries to the The ASD Clinic
To help make it easier for potential clients of The ASD Clinic we have developed an online New Referral Form. This form should be completed for requests for diagnostic assessments and/or counselling. Please note that all new referrals will go onto our Waiting List - see below for details.
This form asks for some general information to help us determine how we can best assist you. It can be completed by the potential client or their parent/carer if a child.
If you have been a client of one of the Psychologists in the past, please indicate this in the comments/query box.
If your enquiry to The ASD Clinic is about using your FAHCSIA Early Intervention Funding you will need to obtain your confirmation letter from the Autism Victoria Autism Advisor first, and then complete our New Referral Form. The ASD Clinic is part of a consortium including MOTA - Melbourne Occupational Therapist Associates (lead agency) and Speech Pathologist Betty Mihelakos. You can read more about the Helping Children with Autism program and this funding package on the Autism Victoria website, or on the FAHCSIA website.
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Counselling Sessions at The ASD Clinic
Counselling sessions provide ongoing support and advice for people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or family members. Counselling sessions are usually for approximately 55 minutes, but can be for 25-30 minutes as required.
Children already diagnosed with an ASD who require assessments for integration aide funding may be seen for 30-90 minutes depending on the type of assessment that is needed.
Under some circumstances, with the appropriate referral from a Medical Practitioner such as a GP, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist, a Medicare rebate may apply for counselling sessions. Please click here for further information.
Diagnostic Assessments at The ASD Clinic
The ASD Clinic specialises in Diagnostic Assessments for all ages to confirm or exclude the presence of an Autism Spectrum Disorder such as Autism or Asperger's Syndrome.
A Diagnostic Assessment usually requires two appointments. The first appointment is for a Cognitive Assessment (IQ or developmental assessment) which takes approximately 60-90 minutes. During this assessment the Psychologist is looking for a pattern of strengths and weaknesses across several skills using a variety of tests. For children, these tests are presented as games such as puzzle and block games.
The Psychologist will spend some time collating the results of the tests prior to the second appointment which is usually a two hour Diagnostic Interview. Information obtained at this interview, especially the client's developmental history, contributes to the formulation of a diagnosis. If the client being tested is a child, this appointment is for parents only and childcare elsewhere needs to be arranged by parents for that appointment time. If the client being assessed is an adult they can invite significant others such as their spouse, partner or parent/s to attend this second appointment with them.
If the client has previously had a Cognitive Assessment (such as a WISC or WPPSI IQ test, or a PEP-R for younger children), this may be repeated so that the Psychologist can observe how the client responds to the tasks as they are presented to them.
The fee for a Diagnostic Assessment is inclusive of both appointments (Cognitive Assessment and Diagnostic Interview) and a Diagnostic Report. If a Diagnostic Report is requested it will usually be available three to four weeks after the final appointment. Click here for details of our current fee schedules.
For children under 13 years old only, a Medicare rebate for part of the assessment fees is available with the appropriate referral from a Paediatrician or Psychiatrist. For more information have a look at the Fees & Medicare Rebates section on our website, or click here to be taken to the Autism Victoria website for a detailed outline of the Medicare elements of the Federal Government's Helping Children with Autism program.
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Waiting Lists at The ASD Clinic
Due to the high demand for our services we have had to introduce a waiting list for all potential new clients wanting to see any of the Psychologists at The ASD Clinic. Unfortunately Dr. Richard Eisenmajer is not able to accept new clients for the time being. With the larger clinic and more Psychologists we have now reduced our waiting time to see one of the Psychologists for either counselling or assessments to 1-3 months. All potential clients are asked to complete our New Referral Form and they are then placed on our waiting list. When appointments become available for new clients, the next name from the waiting list (or their parent/s or carers) will be contacted by phone or email to offer an appointment with the Psychologist most appropriate for their needs.